An-other look at assessment: Assessment in learning

This article seeks to review understandings of educational assessment as revealed in the phrases teachers use (assessment of learning, assessment for learning and assessment as learning). We propose a reconsideration of what teachers might have taken for granted in these phrases and assessment practice. We suggest that along with assessment knowledge and skills, teachers need a way of ‘being in’ assessment. We share some experiential stories to illustrate our understanding of ‘assessment in learning’ and ask readers to consider what this might mean for their own teaching practice

The role of the media in determining fashion in Perth: A study in cultural ambiguity

This study is contextualised within the international fashion framework. The notion of core and periphery has been established in preparation of the application to the local context. The practice of mimicry is examined. This has involved the comparison of global trends with the Perth market. The examination of the fashion condition focuses on the sources of inspiration. Core areas in which fashion concepts are created are identified and their relevance to the Perth fashion scene established. Post-colonial cultural theory has been applied as a critique of fashion in a marginal area. Sources of visual and written media have been identified and critically evaluated to establish how they impose on Perth as a peripheral fashion location. The practical application of media patterns and fashion trends has been an integral concern in establishing the notion of the double bind. It is the double bind condition which highlights the ambiguous relationship between media and fashion

Exploring the Ambulatory Transitional Care Experience from Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACF) to Ambulatory Care Services

Objective(s): To explore the transitional care journey through Ambulatory care Services (ACS) for older residents from Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACF). To develop a clearer understanding of older residents needs and any gaps in current services provided; and to inform the development of a model of care to improve the resident’s transitional care journey Study Design: A qualitative project design using extensive stakeholder engagement Method: The Ambulatory Care (AC) experience was explored through semi-structured interviews with residents and their carers to determine gaps in transitional care continuity. Focus groups with RACF and ACS staff were also utilized. Journey mapping was used to support anecdotal evidence. Results: Three residents and 2 carers were interviewed and a total of 40 RACF and ACS staff attended 5 focus groups. Principal Findings: Qualitative data analysis identified four main themes across the transition journey: Inconsistent and adhoc communication; Just waiting around; Is it doing more harm than good?; and Unmet expectations.Conclusion: The results of this study have highlighted shortcomings in the provision of quality care in this transitional care group of older clients. A collaborative approach across organizational boundaries is necessary to ensure the development of an integrated person centered model to ensure the best transition to ambulatory care for RACF residents exists

End of life care: A scoping review of experiences of Advance Care Planning for people with dementia.

Despite increasing attention given to dementia by international governments and policy makers the focus of end of life care has been on the dying trajectory of malignant disease. People with severe dementia have complex physical and psychological needs, yet, the disease is not always recognised as terminal. Advance care planning involving people with dementia and their families can provide opportunities to discuss and later, initiate timely palliative care. We conducted a scoping review of studies exploring decisions associated with the EoLC of people with dementia. Eligible studies had to report on decision making at the end of life and by whom (the dying person, clinician/health professional or relative/family member). Twenty five eligible studies reported on advance care planning and end of life care decisions for individuals with dementia. The papers highlight several challenges that need to be addressed in order to provide adequate and effective care for people with dementia as they near the end of their life

The choice of self-rated health measures matter when predicting mortality: evidence from 10 years follow-up of the Australian longitudinal study of ageing

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Self-rated health (SRH) measures with different wording and reference points are often used as equivalent health indicators in public health surveys estimating health outcomes such as healthy life expectancies and mortality for older adults. Whilst the robust relationship between SRH and mortality is well established, it is not known how comparable different SRH items are in their relationship to mortality over time. We used a dynamic evaluation model to investigate the sensitivity of time-varying SRH measures with different reference points to predict mortality in older adults over time.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We used seven waves of data from the Australian Longitudinal Study of Ageing (1992 to 2004; N = 1733, 52.6% males). Cox regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between three time-varying SRH measures (global, age-comparative and self-comparative reference point) with mortality in older adults (65+ years).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>After accounting for other mortality risk factors, poor global SRH ratings increased mortality risk by 2.83 times compared to excellent ratings. In contrast, the mortality relationship with age-comparative and self-comparative SRH was moderated by age, revealing that these comparative SRH measures did not independently predict mortality for adults over 75 years of age in adjusted models.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We found that a global measure of SRH not referenced to age or self is the best predictor of mortality, and is the most reliable measure of self-perceived health for longitudinal research and population health estimates of healthy life expectancy in older adults. Findings emphasize that the SRH measures are not equivalent measures of health status.</p

Chromosomes 4 and 8 implicated in a genome wide SNP linkage scan of 762 prostate cancer families collected by the ICPCG

BACKGROUND In spite of intensive efforts, understanding of the genetic aspects of familial prostate cancer (PC) remains largely incomplete. In a previous microsatellite‐based linkage scan of 1,233 PC families, we identified suggestive evidence for linkage (i.e., LOD ≥ 1.86) at 5q12, 15q11, 17q21, 22q12, and two loci on 8p, with additional regions implicated in subsets of families defined by age at diagnosis, disease aggressiveness, or number of affected members. METHODS In an attempt to replicate these findings and increase linkage resolution, we used the Illumina 6000 SNP linkage panel to perform a genome‐wide linkage scan of an independent set of 762 multiplex PC families, collected by 11 International Consortium for Prostate Cancer Genetics (ICPCG) groups. RESULTS Of the regions identified previously, modest evidence of replication was observed only on the short arm of chromosome 8, where HLOD scores of 1.63 and 3.60 were observed in the complete set of families and families with young average age at diagnosis, respectively. The most significant linkage signals found in the complete set of families were observed across a broad, 37 cM interval on 4q13–25, with LOD scores ranging from 2.02 to 2.62, increasing to 4.50 in families with older average age at diagnosis. In families with multiple cases presenting with more aggressive disease, LOD scores over 3.0 were observed at 8q24 in the vicinity of previously identified common PC risk variants, as well as MYC , an important gene in PC biology. CONCLUSIONS These results will be useful in prioritizing future susceptibility gene discovery efforts in this common cancer. Prostate 72:410–426, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/90245/1/21443_ftp.pd

Fatty Acid Biomarkers of Dairy Fat Consumption and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes: A Pooled Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies

Background We aimed to investigate prospective associations of circulating or adipose tissue odd-chain fatty acids 15:0 and 17:0 and trans-palmitoleic acid, t16:1n-7, as potential biomarkers of dairy fat intake, with incident type 2 diabetes (T2D). Methods and findings Sixteen prospective cohorts from 12 countries (7 from the United States, 7 from Europe, 1 from Australia, 1 from Taiwan) performed new harmonised individual-level analysis for the prospective associations according to a standardised plan. In total, 63,682 participants with a broad range of baseline ages and BMIs and 15,180 incident cases of T2D over the average of 9 years of follow-up were evaluated. Study-specific results were pooled using inverse-variance±weighted meta-analysis. Prespecified interactions by age, sex, BMI, and race/ethnicity were explored in each cohort and were meta-analysed. Potential heterogeneity by cohort-specific characteristics (regions, lipid compartments used for fatty acid assays) was assessed with metaregression. After adjustment for potential confounders, including measures of adiposity (BMI, waist circumference) and lipogenesis (levels of palmitate, triglycerides), higher levels of 15:0, 17:0, and t16:1n-7 were associated with lower incidence of T2D. In the most adjusted model, the hazard ratio (95% CI) for incident T2D per cohortspecific 10th to 90th percentile range of 15:0 was 0.80 (0.73±0.87); of 17:0, 0.65 (0.59± 0.72); of t16:1n7, 0.82 (0.70±0.96); and of their sum, 0.71 (0.63±0.79). In exploratory analyses, similar associations for 15:0, 17:0, and the sum of all three fatty acids were present in both genders but stronger in women than in men (pinteraction \u3c 0.001). Whereas studying associations with biomarkers has several advantages, as limitations, the biomarkers do not distinguish between different food sources of dairy fat (e.g., cheese, yogurt, milk), and residual confounding by unmeasured or imprecisely measured confounders may exist. Conclusions In a large meta-analysis that pooled the findings from 16 prospective cohort studies, higher levels of 15:0, 17:0, and t16:1n-7 were associated with a lower risk of T2D